Mental foramen

The mental foramen (from Latin foramen " opening ", " hole" and mentum " chin " ) is a bone opening on the outside of the horizontal ramus of the lower jaw ( mandible ), through which the mental nerve ( a terminal branch of the inferior alveolar nerve ) the mental artery and the accompanying vein ( vena mentalis ) from the mandibular canal escape. The mental foramen is present on both sides. It is localized ( in Europeans ) just below the root tips between the two mandibular premolars. The location varies but depending on ancestry ( European, Asian, African and others).

This site is the reason that feel numb also at a regional block anesthesia in the mandible, in which the anesthetic is injected into the vicinity of the mandibular foramen, the chin region and the lower lip. The dentist evaluates this numbness as evidence that the anesthetic effect. Also right at the mental foramen is a nerve block can be anesthetized by then the premolars, the chin region and the lower lip.

The location of the mental foramen must especially at a surgical tooth removal and root resection be considered. Then it may be necessary to visit the foramen and represent the Gefäß-/Nervenstrang to exclude accidental damage.

In a toothless, heavily atrophied alveolar ( tooth -bearing portion of the jaw bone ), the mental foramen are practically on top of the lower jaw bone and lead to very unpleasant pain when a denture presses on the nerves exit point. In these cases, this area of the prosthesis must be placed hollow or the foramen be laid by neurolysis.